After winning the last three races in Atlanta, the Circuit of the Americas, and Phoenix, Christopher Bell is without a doubt the most attractive driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. Since the Gen 7 car was introduced in 2022, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won 11 races with those triumphs. However, Bell’s win total still falls short of Kyle Larson’s, who had 13 wins during that same period. Furthermore, with 45 top fives, the Hendrick Motorsports driver leads the field, while the No. 20 pilot has 40. The 2021 champion’s average finishing position was 13.9, while the JGR driver’s was 13.0.
When Mike Joy gave some extremely high compliments for the two drivers and their competition in 2022, the Amazon broadcast included a graphic comparing their numbers during Saturday’s Cup Series practice in Las Vegas. Clint Bowyer remarked, “Those statistics are so close.” Joy proposed, “Dude, this is Petty-Pearson stuff.” “We’re witnessing something that has hardly ever happened in NASCAR—not even once in a generation. I think this type of matchup has only happened twice in history.” “And since I believe it to be even better than theirs, I’m going to argue that a little bit,” Bowyer said.
“Not just on a NASCAR track, these guys can do it.” At Chili Bowl, they can do it in a midget, a late model, a sprint car, and a dirt track. These two, who are nearly identical, simply get it done when driving a race car. Bell and Larson began their feud in the dirt. NASCAR has adopted it and it has only grown stronger. And according to the seasoned Fox announcer, it has already grown to be one of the most enduring rivalries in NASCAR history. The fact that the rivalry is still young adds to its allure for supporters. Larson is 32 and Bell is 30.
